Monday, April 28, 2014

TRIMMING AND CLEANING OUR JUNGLE

Well we had one of those busy, productive week-ends that makes you feel good come Monday morning, in spite of the fact there wasn't much time to just relax or play. Hubby and I decided when we got up Sat. morning to just dig in on the work that needed to be done on our front porch. Let me start by saying I DID NOT get a before picture, so this whole post is somewhat ruined, lol. And I feel like I need to explain also that for years, and years, and YEARS, our "outside" work was soo massive, that I think we both feel like that what we need to do now doesn't even exist in comparison. For the 25 years we lived on Diana Court there was MUCH to do. We had a swimming pool, and a side yard, and another large area on the other side of the house where we kept a pool table, a ping pong table, and exercise equipment and had a large front yard as well. Large planters surrounded all of it, as well as potted flowers and bushes and trees etc. There was also a packed to the brim garage that always seemed to need something done to it. I think you get the picture, lol. It seemed we were ALWAYS in the yards doing some sort of chore. Now I guess I need to mention the part that neither one of us really ENJOYS that kind of work. I know a lot of you love to garden, and "tinker" in your yards, and can hardly wait to get out there come spring, but it just isn't us. We want it to LOOK like we do, lol, but don't like the getting it to look like that way process. Soo when we moved here I decided to take just what I felt I was the most attached to and couldn't live without in terms of my potted plants. I had soo many of them in various different places that honestly I never counted them. I wanted ones that required little to no work short of watering, lol. And ones for that matter that wouldn't easily die if not watered daily. Which means of course most flowering ones. I used to spend 45 minutes (no exaggeration) watering my pots (everything else had automatic sprinklers thank goodness) DAILY when we lived on Diana court in the spring and summertime and even into the Fall. I will say that they were beautiful, but such a chore, and honestly I haven't missed it one little bit. ALL of this to say, we have become VERY accustomed to NOT doing any outside work, so things had gotten kind of out of hand. Suddenly the whole front porch area looked like a jungle. My two Sega palms were GIGANTIC covering the windows they were in front of. My night blooming jasmine is in bloom and the vines were sweeping across the porch ready to trip whoever might come to the door (though they DO smell heavenly). My Azalea bush was misshapen and covered with dead blooms. My old treasured bird bath had cracked and had a part chipped off, and the little water still in it was dirty and covered with some kind of scum. All of my white wrought iron furniture was a dirty shade of grey, and the pillow covers on them were dirty, faded, and NEVER did fit the chairs or seats right in the first place. And if all of this is not enough, the entire front porch area was covered with cob and spider webs, dust, and dirt. A COMPLETE mess, and yet we had to FORCE ourselves out there. I hate to admit all of this as it does make us seem like your worst neighbors, but it is the old it is what it is. Sooo, first thing we had to decide on was what to do with the cushions. They are soo expensive to replace. The furniture itself is still in wonderful condition, no doubt due to the fact we paid a small fortune for it years and years ago. Sometimes you do get what you pay for. But I don't think it was ever intended in the first place for cushions, but it is hard to sit on for any length of time without. Anyway as I looked at it, I thought to myself I bet there is just foam cushions of some sort under the fabric which could probably be cut to fit right. The next thing I knew I had cut the fabric off one of the seat cushions, and found just what I thought underneath. I used a marker and traced on it where I thought it should be (didn't even use a tape measure, I am a pretty good dead eye, lol) and got my scissors and trimmed it up. It fit perfectly! Then, I quickly did it to the other 3 chairs, and the bench seat, and the two pillows as well. I knew that Joannes had their new outdoor fabric 50% off this week, and figured I'd make a trip over there later in the day. From their we went to trimming. WOW what a job! But eventually we had trimmed everything way, way, back and cleaned that all out. Then it was time to scrub the furniture in soap and water, and truthfully as it sat glistening in the sun, it looked as beautiful as it always did. From there is a massive hose down of the whole area. One thing I have discovered about mobile homes is that the outside of them get dusty. We have power washed ours down a few times since we bought it, but it had been almost a year since it had been done. We cleaned the pictures on the wall, the wind chimes, the windows, and the light fixtures as well. Then we assessed the pots that hold my two Sega palms, and my fig tree. They are HUGE clay pots and honestly have seen much better days. But replacing them would have been not only expensive, but a HUGE heavy, heavy job. Hubby decided it would be easier to scrub them down with a wire bush and paint them. So off to Home Depot we went. But before we did that I ran by the fabric store and got some gorgeous fabric for the cushions. Believe it or not they had ready made pillows (also 50% off) that was the exact same fabric I had chosen for the cushions, so I just went ahead and bought them. Not much more then it would have cost to me to make anyway. Sooo back to Home Depot. I took along a new pillow, and matched the paint to the color I wanted in the fabric on the pillow. I also chose a hanging flowering plant which will be my ONLY flowering plant for spring and summer. One plant to water everyday doesn't even count as a chore right? lol When we got back late in the afternoon, I collapsed in a chair and hubby set to work painting the pots. Honestly I don't know how he did as I was soo beat you couldn't have paid me to do it, lol. When we got back from church yesterday we finished up. Filled all the pots with some fresh soil and food, arranged things a little better, and set back and admired our work. Oh! I forgot to mention, hubby also got some patch repair stuff and somehow fixed my bird bath! I was soo grateful as I love that little thing for some reason. We have have had it soo many years, and it holds lots of memories of years gone by I guess is why I do. I am glad we can enjoy it for a little longer. So now let me show you some "after" pictures, though of course the cushions are not done yet.

VIEW OUT MY FRONT DOOR

REPAIRED BIRD BATH...CAN'T EVEN TELL CAN YOU?

DIDN'T EVEN MENTION THIS FERN THAT HAD ALSO OVER GROWN SOO MUCH THAT HAD YOU WANTED TO SIT IN THESE CHAIRS YOUR HEAD WOULD HAVE BEEN BURIED, LOL

FRONT DOOR, THOUGH I AM THINKING THAT WREATH MAY BE THE NEXT TO GO

MY FLOWERING POT

AND THIS IS A CLIPPING MY SON GAVE TO MY MOM FOR LAST MOTHER'S DAY. I WAS JUST SICK OVER THE THOUGHT THAT I HAD SOMEHOW KILLED IT, BUT IT IS COMING ALONG NICELY NOW

AND JUST SO YOU DON'T THINK I DON'T HAVE ANY FLOWERS, LOL, SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE GROUND ALONG THE SIDE. I DON'T COUNT ONES I DON'T HAVE TO WATER BY HAND

AND JUST GOT ALL OF OUR IMPATIENCE WE PUT IN EVERY SPRING PLANTED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEY ARE DOING NICELY

THE BENCH SEAT CUSHION

THE CHAIR SEAT CUSHIONS

THE GORGEOUS FABRIC

Soo that was pretty much our week-end. On Friday I did get one of the borders attached, but I will wait till I get the last, bigger one on before I show you again. I am hoping to get to that today. I have had soo many interruptions this morning while doing this post that I am WAY WAY behind now. Enjoy your day ladies, and your week, and hopefully mine will be productive as I have lots. to do! Blessings, Debbie

9 comments:

What a team you are! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the sprucing up. And I laughed aloud at your honesty. I enjoy gardening in very small doses. It can be daily, but not 45 minutes a day! It all looks great, too!

You certainly made everything look fresh and ready for spring. I like the wreath! I think it adds color and is sweet.I still have so much to do, I get tired thinking about it. Enjoy all the beauty that your hard work accomplished!Blessings, Catherine

I am tired just reading what you did this weekend. As exhausting as it was, I'm sure you felt good about all that you accomplished. I can't wait to see your finished cushions ... and of course, your quilt top!

You are a worker bee..and even if you don't like working in the yard, but want it to look like you do...lol..you make up for all that work in other places. Sewing, and sewing. I love that it has a part in all you do.The porch looks great. Enjoy your spring and summer...you desire the relaxing time.

Everything looks so nice Debbie, love your bird bath. I had to laugh when you talked about how long it would take you to water your plants at your last place. My DIL used to dread when we would go out of town because she would have to water for us and she used to complain that it took her forever to water things. This year we are going as much drought resistant as possible. Your porch looks like a great place to sit and read